Christmas Carols
by myanko92
Summary: In which Orihime goes caroling on Christmas Eve, and gets to sing a duet.


It may be a little late (or early) in the year for Christmas, but no matter what season of the year, we all need more of the Christmas spirit in our lives! I hope this story helps bring some of that spirit to you. ^v^

**Disclaimer: **Neither Christmas or Bleach belong to me~

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"_Angels we have heard on high  
Sweetly singing o'er the plains…"_

The carol floated over the empty neighborhoods and streets of Karakura Town, a faint echo carried on the winter wind. It came from the lips of a young woman with hip-length caramel brown hair, warmly dressed in a sheepskin coat lined with wool and a white knit cap and scarf, as she strolled in a neighborhood where the light shining from inside the houses proclaimed the presence of families coming together to celebrate the holiday season. In some homes, gold or multicolored Christmas tree lights gleamed from the inside of the front windows, where miniature Christmas trees had been placed.

In a rare occurrence for Karakura, it had snowed that day, and a thin blanket of snow covered everything in white, softening edges and corners and touching everything ordinary with a hint of magic. Even now, fluffy snowflakes fell slowly from the overcast sky, sometimes dancing in the occasional passing breeze. Though it was night, the air was orange, the strange color that occurs when the sky is covered with clouds and the ground is covered with snow, and the sky and everything else was illuminated by the hazy, flame-like light.

"…_And the mountains in reply  
Echoing their joyous strains..."_

Orihime sung softly, watching her breath form misty puffs that floated slowly away as she walked down the empty street. She looked down at her booted feet making footprints in the otherwise unmarked snow and giggled, skipping a little.

"Pretty…"

Lifting one foot, she set it carefully down and pulled it away, admiring the clean imprint it left on the snowy street, before hopping on ahead, kicking at the powdery whiteness and watching it fly before her toes.

"_La— la di da di da— la di da di da— la di da di da— di dum, in excelsis Deo—" _Still singing, she continued down the street, scraps of melody trailing behind her shrinking figure.

"…_in excelsis De— o—."_

'

The Karasu River was unfrozen, and Orihime stopped mid-bridge to watch it flow slowly by beneath her. It continued silent and serene, unchanging as ever, as the brown-haired girl gazed into the smooth water, while behind her the red and yellow lights of the passing cars streaked past unnoticed. She raised her eyes to the horizon, looking as far up the river as she could, and snowflakes flecked her eyelashes with white glitter fur.

She would have loved to stay there forever and watch the river in its unending journey to the sea, but she had somewhere to go, so with a tiny sigh of regret at leaving the peaceful spot, she turned and continued on her way, smiling and greeting whomever she passed with a cheerful "Merry Christmas!"

There was no one out and about in Tatsuki's neighborhood, so as she walked along, she sung 'Jingle Bells' with new lyrics she made up on the spot, all the way up to the gate of the Arisawa home. The bars were cold under her fingers as she unlatched it and slipped through, still humming 'Jingle Bells'. She fell silent, the snow crunching under her boots the only sound she heard as she approached the door. Reaching up, she knocked firmly and then waited, her heart beating fast with excitement and nervousness.

After several moments, in which she alternately formed clouds with her breath and hummed her starting note, she heard someone fumbling with the lock and quickly straightened, humming her pitch once more before Tatsuki opened the door.

"Orihime! What're you—"

"_Away in a manger…"_

Tatsuki fell silent as Orihime began and the notes of the carol filled the night air with music.

"Mom! Come and listen to this!" Tatsuki called into the house, and then watched Orihime sing, a peaceful expression coming to her face as she listened.

Orihime sung the best she could, enjoying the sound of her own voice and the feeling of peace that wrapped around them as the gentle lullaby hung in the air. The snow that softly fell from the sky further added to the serenity of the scene, and Orihime felt grateful that she was able to do something like this for her friend. She smiled at Tatsuki's mom who had come up just as she finished, and continued on with her next song.

"_Angels we have heard on high…" _

She really loved the chorus with its long run of notes, and she sung each sentence in it in one breath; a long cloud of mist coming from her mouth and wafting away into the sky. When she finished the last "Deo", she promptly launched into her finale.

"_We wish you a merry Christmas…"_

This song she sung energetically, bouncing slightly from foot to foot with the beat, and Tatsuki and her mother smiled at her bright eyes and sparkling smile.

"…_and a happy New Year!" _she finished with gusto, and they applauded enthusiastically.

"You sound _awesome_, Orihime!" Tatsuki exclaimed.

"What a beautiful voice you have, Orihime-chan!" her mother said. "Thank you for a wonderful performance."

"Yeah, thanks!" Tatsuki agreed. "You sounded amazing! Really, really, beautiful."

"Oh." Orihime's cheeks turned pink with the praise and she laughed self-consciously. "Eh-heh, it was my pleasure! I just wanted to share some Christmas love and peace." Her eyes crinkled shut as she smiled at them.

"Do you have other places to go?" Tatsuki's mom asked. "Why don't you come in?"

"Oh!" Orihime waved her hands in front of her chest evasively. "No, I'm okay! I don't want to interfere with your special family time."

"Come on in," her friend pressed. "You're already like part of the family, so don't be shy." She grinned at the slim girl bundled up in a sheepskin coat, who beamed happily back.

"Are you sure?" Orihime asked Tatsuki's mom a little shyly.

"Of course! Please, come in!" She stepped back and beckoned her inside, and a brilliant smile lit up Orihime's face.

"Thank you so much!"

'

It was a little after 9 o'clock when the door of the Arisawa home opened again and released a long rectangle of gold onto the snow-covered path as well as Orihime, once again snug in her coat, knit cap, and scarf.

"Thank you again for a lovely evening!" she said, bowing once more to Tatsuki and her parents.

"Thank _you_. Be sure to come again soon," replied Tatsuki's mom.

"Thanks for coming, Orihime! Your singing was beautiful," Tatsuki told her. "I'll see you tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Be careful on your way home," added Tatsuki's dad.

"Hai! I'll be careful! See you tomorrow, Tatsuki-chan! Thank you so much for letting me stay this evening, Arisawa-san! Have a wonderful night! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas!" they echoed, and she smiled back before turning and walking down the path, turning once more at the gate to wave back at the family still standing in the doorway before slipping through.

'

"Aaahhh, that was so much fun!" Orihime sighed happily, crunching through the fallen snow. "It was so nice of Tatsuki-chan's mom to let me in."

She swung her arms widely and tried to see how big she could make her steps. "I'm glad that Tatsuki-chan and her family liked the Christmas carols."

She set one booted foot in front of the other, carefully lining up toe and heel, toe and heel; making stars and lopsided hearts and circles with the tracks she left in the snow. She was so absorbed in her efforts to make a perfect heart, breathily humming Christmas songs as she did so, that she didn't realize where her feet had taken her until she looked up and recognized the Kurosaki Clinic up ahead of her.

"Oh! I'm here? That was unexpected!"

Abandoning her half-finished heart, she stepped forward a little and took a surreptitious peek at what little she could see of the interior from where she stood.

"I wonder what they're doing for Christmas?" she said out loud. She giggled a little at the funny scene that popped into her head of the noisy Kurosaki family decorating for Christmas.

"I kind of wanted to see Kurosaki-kun," she admitted to herself, finally verbalizing the unspoken wish that had directed her feet here. "It would have been nice to sing Christmas carols to him."

"Sing Christmas carols to whom?" came a voice from behind her.

Orihime shrieked, managing to jump and whirl in surprise at the same time, only to see Ichigo bundled up against the cold in a black ski jacket, hands jammed into his pockets and ears red from the cold.

"Ku-Ku-Kurosaki-kun!" she stuttered wildly. "You scared me!"

"It's just me," he reassured her, then added, "Didn't mean to scare you."

"That's okay!" and she waved it off, her carefree attitude reasserting itself.

"So—sing Christmas carols to whom?" he repeated.

"U-uh, uh, um…" she stammered, a bright blush staining her cheeks. Ichigo waited patiently, a little amused at her obvious embarrassment.

"…um, s-sing Christmas carols to— to you," she finished, looking down shyly.

"Sing away, then," he told her, and watched her eyes widen with shock.

"H-here? N-now?"

"Why not?"

"Well, won't I disturb people?"

He shrugged. "Everybody's inside right now and I'm sure you don't sound horrible."

"But— but…." She fidgeted, her heart pounding at the sudden chance to sing for the person she admired and loved most in the world.

"Don't worry, I don't mind," he assured her. "Go ahead and sing."

"O-okay, if you're sure…" Throwing a nervous glance at him, she straightened, lifting her chin to look away somewhere past his head as she rested her hands at her sides and took a deep breath to chase away the butterflies tumbling about in her stomach.

"_Away in a manger…"_

She began with a relatively easy song, one that she knew she could sing even though her voice was trembling with nervousness. As she continued to sing, the gentle lullaby soothed her soul and she began to relax. Her breath hung like a cloud of smoke in the frosty air, the notes clear and sweet in the silent neighborhood.

Ichigo watched transfixed as she sung, the melody catching at his heart and bringing him peace. He had never heard Orihime sing before, and the sight of her standing there in the orange glow of the night, her eyes soft with a far away gaze as she sung the lullaby with her whole heart, touched him in ways that he didn't understand.

Orihime smiled a little to herself as she ended, before looking back at Ichigo, suddenly anxious as to what he had thought.

He couldn't speak for a moment, almost couldn't breathe with the shock of just having heard the sheer beauty of her voice.

"Go on," he managed finally.

"Eh?! Really?!" she squeaked, and a thrill of excitement and happiness ran through her as he nodded.

"You sound great, Inoue. Keep going."

She started on 'What Child is This?', a haunting melody that was one of her favorites. More self-assured now, she kept her eyes on his face, smiling at him from time to time as she sang. Her voice was husky on the low notes, clear on the high, and Ichigo was amazed at the range that she had and at the skill with which she sang. The earnestness she put into the song tugged at him and left him wanting more, so that when she finished and looked at him questioningly, he nodded.

"Keep going," he urged.

"_Angels we have heard on high…"_ she sang, and Ichigo let himself watch the expressions that crossed her face as she sang. It warmed his heart to watch her and her obvious enjoyment of singing, and he could also tell that she was happy to have the chance to sing to him. He knew the chorus, at least, to this carol, and unconsciously he began to mouth the words.

She stopped in mid phrase and he blinked, suddenly waking up from the spell of her voice.

"You know this song, Kurosaki-kun?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah. I mean, sorta. I know the chorus," he explained.

"Why don't you sing, too?" she suggested, and he floundered for a moment in surprise.

"I don't want to ruin your beautiful singing," he said a bit apologetically.

"No, no! It's fine! After all, Christmas carols are for everybody to sing and enjoy, and I'm sure that you have a really great voice," she reassured him, cheeks flushing pink with excitement.

_I get to hear Kurosaki-kun sing! _

"Okay, then," he said awkwardly, blushing slightly.

"Okay?" She beamed and fidgeted a little with anticipation and nervousness. "Okay. Sei, no! _Glo—_"

A pang of disappointment shot through her when he didn't come in right away, and then she nearly choked on the words when she heard a tenor voice join her soprano. She stole a glance at Ichigo and saw that he was singing along with her, a bit subdued at first, but as the song went on and he began to relax, more confidently.

She clapped enthusiastically when they finished, and Ichigo flushed.

"You sounded wonderful, Kurosaki-kun!"

"Ah," he scratched at the back of his head self-consciously. "Thanks. You did too, Inoue. You sound really good."

He smiled at her and her eyes crinkled shut as she smiled back, her heart fluttering with exuberance at his compliment and because he had just sung with her.

_I've never seen Kurosaki-kun embarrassed before. He looks cute when he's like that,_ she thought, holding the moment in her mind to be treasured again later.

"Do you know 'Silent Night'?" she asked him.

"I think so," he replied.

"Um…" She hesitated for a beat, suddenly feeling a bit shy. "Do you mind, um… singing it with me, please?"

When he didn't answer right away, his face serious, she rushed to explain why exactly she had asked what she had.

"It's my favorite Christmas carol, and I'd love to have you sing with me. But you don't have to if you don't want to," she hastened to assure him.

Ichigo didn't reply for a long moment, and she wondered if maybe she'd offended him before he spoke again.

"Sure," he said gently, and all worries of having offended him were banished, "I'd love to sing it with you."

Orihime's heart glowed with contentment, and she smiled up at him.

"Thank you."

Ichigo smiled back at the sincere girl, his eyes warm.

"Of course."

"Ready?" she asked, and he nodded. "Sei, no. _Silent night! Holy night!..._"

Ichigo wasn't singing, and she threw a quick glance at him while she continued to sing.

"…_All is bright  
Round yon virgin…"_

The carol filled her heart with peace as she reverently sang the words, and she stopped worrying about why Ichigo hadn't joined her, listening only to the words and how they made her feel.

"…_sleep in heavenly peace;  
__Sleep in heavenly peace."_

She paused a moment to listen to the echo of the notes fade away into the orange night, and when she began the second verse, somehow she wasn't surprised to hear Ichigo's light tenor start with her.

"_Silent night! Holy night!..."_

She stopped to listen to him sing, and he looked slightly panicked before she shook her head reassuringly at him and closed her eyes to better hear his voice. It was surprisingly clear, with a husky back tone, and the way he sung so tenderly thrilled and warmed her soul. Smiling with delight, she joined with him again in time for the last verse.

"_Silent night! Holy night!..." _

The soprano and tenor harmony rose into the dusky apricot night sky, a sweet duet that hung in the air like bright stars and wrapped them in its comforting sound.

"_Son of God, love's pure light…"_

Orihime sung with as much feeling as she could, putting all the love and wonder and happiness and peace that she felt at this moment into her voice.

"…_Radiant beams from thy holy face…"_

Ichigo watched Orihime sing, her eyes half-closed and her expression soft, and he was glad for this moment and for what she had asked of him, even though he had never done anything like this before.

"…_Jesus, Lord, at thy birth;  
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth."_

Their voices blended effortlessly on the high note and sunk back down to finally end and ebb away into silence. Neither dared move or speak, or do anything to break the spell that surrounded them and filled the very air with peace until Orihime let out a small sigh.

"Thank you _so_ much," she breathed. "That was perfect." She smiled at him, her eyes glowing with serenity in the warm light from the sky.  
"You sounded _wonderful_, Kurosaki-kun. Thank you so much for singing with me."

"No, thank _you_," he said sincerely. "Your voice is beautiful, Inoue. Thank you for singing to me, and letting me sing with you."

_I'll never forget this night, _he added silently.

Orihime blushed with his praise.

"Oh, I just wanted to share some Christmas spirit with you, so I'm glad you were outside."

"So am I," he agreed. "Are you going anywhere else to sing?"

"Nope! I already sung at Tatsuki-chan's house, so I'm done for tonight!" She looked at her watch and gasped.

"Ah! It's 21:55! I'm so sorry, I've been keeping you from your family!"

"No, it's okay," he reassured her. "Oyaji's being really hyper tonight, so I wanted to take a walk, get a break."

Oh, okay." She breathed a sigh of relief, then stole a glance at his head, the orange hair spiking up stiffly in the cold, as well as his red ears.

"Aren't your ears cold?"

Ichigo blinked in surprise.

"Huh? Oh, not really. I don't feel it," he admitted.

She laughed softly. "Okay."

Tugging her coat more securely around her, she bounced to attention with a mock salute.

"Well, good night, Kurosaki-kun! I'll see you at school tomorrow!" She turned and trotted off when a call from behind her halted her in her tracks.

"Wait, Inoue! I'll walk you home."

Her heart stopped, flipped over in her chest, and then ran away from her, leaving her gasping for breath.

"A-are you sure?" she stammered as he came up beside her. "Don't you need to get ready for school, too? And what about your ears?"

"It's okay," he said, already walking ahead. "I'm used to the cold, and I can walk home fast."

She hurried to catch up to his long strides, falling in step beside him, her heart singing happily within her.

_Kurosaki-kun's walking me home! _

She skipped a little, exuberantly.

"Ne, Kurosaki-kun, let's sing Christmas songs!"

He chuckled easily.

"Go ahead."

When they reached the bridge, Orihime glanced over at Ichigo.

"Um, can we stop here for a bit?" she asked rather apologetically. "I like watching the river, and it's especially pretty right now," she offered in way of explanation.

"Sure," he agreed good-naturedly.

'

They stood side by side in the middle of the bridge, against the railing, the cars rushing past making the backdrop behind them. On each side of them glittered the lights of Karakura Town against the glowing orange sky, and ahead of them stretched the wide Karasu River, placid and serene in its winter coat of snow.

Orihime held out her hand to catch the snowflakes as they fell, the fluffy snow lingering for a moment before it melted away in the warmth of her hand.

"Winter and Christmas are so beautiful," she sighed.

Ichigo said nothing in reply, but he smiled at her obvious happiness.

"What gave you the idea of singing Christmas carols, Inoue?" he asked instead.

"Well…" She pondered his question for a while, flicking bits of snow off the railing and watching them disappear into the ocher-colored air before a small plop in the river's smooth surface marked where they had landed.

"I like Christmas carols because they're so pretty, and they bring such a warm and fuzzy feeling whenever you hear them. So I wanted to share them with Tatsuki-chan and you, Kurosaki-kun, and try to bring the feelings of peace and happiness that I feel whenever I sing them, to you. Because I think those feelings are what is best about Christmas."

She smiled up at him, her brown eyes shimmering in the warm dusky light of the winter sky.

"That's why I wanted to sing Christmas carols to you, Kurosaki-kun."

He smiled down at her, his eyes warm and caring.

"Thanks, Inoue."

Her eyes crinkled shut with her happy smile. "Merry Christmas, Kurosaki-kun!"

"Merry Christmas, Inoue."

.

.

_._

_Owari_

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**A/N: **_I wrote this in Dec. 2011, so the writing style is a little different. I'm not sure if I got better or worse at writing... ^^; I feel like it might be a little OOC, __but I like Orihime best when she's sweet and thoughtful and mature, and I like Ichigo best when he's being gentle and considerate, so that's how I portrayed them. Despite this,_ I'm proud of this one. I hope you enjoyed reading it!  
I look forward to hearing from you! Comments, thoughts, critiques... Let me know how you liked it! And Merry Christmas! ^v^

_A few cultural notes: Miniature Christmas trees: The Japanese people don't have full-sized Christmas trees. They do have miniature ones, though._

_Snow: In the Tokyo area, where Karakura Town might be located, snow is rare since it's in the southern part of Japan._

_Hai: Japanese for 'yes'._

_Sei, no: Basically means, 'get set…'. It's said before counting or saying (or in this case, singing) something together._

_21:55: The Japanese people use the 24-hour clock, so as per the 12-hour clock, the time is 9:55 p.m._

_Oyaji: A casual way to say 'dad'; much like 'old man'._

_School on Christmas Day: Japanese school students get their school winter break on the 26th, so Orihime and her friends would have a school night even on Christmas Eve._


End file.
